Chapter 4:
Jack walked in the door just as Imam was finishing up with his prayers. He gave her a small smile, she looked like hell. She just glanced at him and went straight to her room, he could heard the door being locked and what sounded like something being thrown against the door. He sighed, she could be in there for hours, and doing god knows what, he had his ideas after all but that's all they were, ideas. He really hoped he was wrong about her hurting herself and that it was just his overactive imagination working, but that was looking less and less true. He shook his head and walked into the kitchen; that was why he was sending her to Riddick, if anyone could help her, it'd be him.
Jack walked pass Imam and his smile, she needed to be alone. She closed and locked the door, the instant the door slid closed she started to cry, going to Elixa's was a bad idea, she grabbed the closest book and threw it against the door. The action brought a bit of relief to her, but not very much. Elixa's whole family was upset, her mother and her sister were openly crying, especially after they found out Jack was leaving, Elixa was barely containing herself. She reached behind her bed, in the little opening in the wall, she felt the cool metal touch her skin. Any knife or shiv would do, but this was her tradition, Riddick's shiv, her reason for starting this. She lifted the hem of her shirt and dragged the edge against her skin, pressing deeply, the blood welded up immediately, the pain followed a few seconds later, followed by the rush, the adrenaline. She sighed as the sensation took over her, there were few substitutes for this, and many of them were not enough. She let the pain take over her, it pushed the other problems away.
Imam saw Jack leave her room and head towards the bathroom about ten minutes after she locked herself in her room. He sighed and continued to make supper, she'd be out of the bathroom in about another ten minutes, she'd be happy, and act like nothing happened and as if Imam was blind to what was going on, and he'd act like he was. Sometimes he wondered if he brought up his fears with Jack that maybe she would have talked to him and wouldn't be where she was now.
Jack walked out of the bathroom drying her hair, the table was set and Imam was sitting waiting for her. She gave him a smile and sat at the other place and started to eat. Imam was just pushing food around on his plate; something was up. Suddenly he put his fork down and looked at her. Jack slowly lowered her fork and met his gaze.
"Jack," he began slowly, he could see the emotions run across her face, fear, sadness, anger, curiosity. Suddenly he knew that if he told her that it was Riddick who she was going to be learning from, she'd leave, she'd turn around and run, just like he did.
"Yeah," She said slowly, this really didn't look good now.
He gave her a small smile, trying to comfort her, she looked like she wanted bolt out of there. "The ship your going on, it's going to be passing this way by the end of this week, I told them that you'd be catching a ship to meet them on Vada, instead of them having to come back to get you in a few weeks."
Jack looked at him, he looked like he wanted to say more, like there was something that he was keeping from her. "Um, okay. Is that it? You look like you were about to tell me my dog died."
He gave a quick laugh, "Nope, that's it. Just didn't know how you were going to react."
Jack gave a smile, "Well, I guess I should start packing."
Imam smiled as she walked away from the table and heading into her room. The smile faded when he realized he had to tell Riddick about this, and even worse when he realized that Riddick was not going to be happy about this change in events.
Jack walked in the door just as Imam was finishing up with his prayers. He gave her a small smile, she looked like hell. She just glanced at him and went straight to her room, he could heard the door being locked and what sounded like something being thrown against the door. He sighed, she could be in there for hours, and doing god knows what, he had his ideas after all but that's all they were, ideas. He really hoped he was wrong about her hurting herself and that it was just his overactive imagination working, but that was looking less and less true. He shook his head and walked into the kitchen; that was why he was sending her to Riddick, if anyone could help her, it'd be him.
Jack walked pass Imam and his smile, she needed to be alone. She closed and locked the door, the instant the door slid closed she started to cry, going to Elixa's was a bad idea, she grabbed the closest book and threw it against the door. The action brought a bit of relief to her, but not very much. Elixa's whole family was upset, her mother and her sister were openly crying, especially after they found out Jack was leaving, Elixa was barely containing herself. She reached behind her bed, in the little opening in the wall, she felt the cool metal touch her skin. Any knife or shiv would do, but this was her tradition, Riddick's shiv, her reason for starting this. She lifted the hem of her shirt and dragged the edge against her skin, pressing deeply, the blood welded up immediately, the pain followed a few seconds later, followed by the rush, the adrenaline. She sighed as the sensation took over her, there were few substitutes for this, and many of them were not enough. She let the pain take over her, it pushed the other problems away.
Imam saw Jack leave her room and head towards the bathroom about ten minutes after she locked herself in her room. He sighed and continued to make supper, she'd be out of the bathroom in about another ten minutes, she'd be happy, and act like nothing happened and as if Imam was blind to what was going on, and he'd act like he was. Sometimes he wondered if he brought up his fears with Jack that maybe she would have talked to him and wouldn't be where she was now.
Jack walked out of the bathroom drying her hair, the table was set and Imam was sitting waiting for her. She gave him a smile and sat at the other place and started to eat. Imam was just pushing food around on his plate; something was up. Suddenly he put his fork down and looked at her. Jack slowly lowered her fork and met his gaze.
"Jack," he began slowly, he could see the emotions run across her face, fear, sadness, anger, curiosity. Suddenly he knew that if he told her that it was Riddick who she was going to be learning from, she'd leave, she'd turn around and run, just like he did.
"Yeah," She said slowly, this really didn't look good now.
He gave her a small smile, trying to comfort her, she looked like she wanted bolt out of there. "The ship your going on, it's going to be passing this way by the end of this week, I told them that you'd be catching a ship to meet them on Vada, instead of them having to come back to get you in a few weeks."
Jack looked at him, he looked like he wanted to say more, like there was something that he was keeping from her. "Um, okay. Is that it? You look like you were about to tell me my dog died."
He gave a quick laugh, "Nope, that's it. Just didn't know how you were going to react."
Jack gave a smile, "Well, I guess I should start packing."
Imam smiled as she walked away from the table and heading into her room. The smile faded when he realized he had to tell Riddick about this, and even worse when he realized that Riddick was not going to be happy about this change in events.